Page 525 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
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Education - Administrative Structure
MR CORNWELL: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to Mr Wood as Minister for Education. Mr Wood, I refer to a news item on 17 February in the Canberra Times. It stated:
The ACT Government Service is reported to be discontented with legislation introduced to the Legislative Assembly yesterday to change ACT Health from a statutory authority to a department on July 1.
Sources in the bureaucracy said plans were afoot to make a similar move in Education on July 1, thereby doubling the budget sector in one day.
Could you confirm whether this is the intention of the Government and, if so, for what reason?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, historically we have inherited the Commonwealth Teaching Service Act and the Schools Authority Act and they continue to operate in the ACT. For some considerable period of time consideration has been given to bringing those Acts into line with what is actually happening in the ACT. So there has been long consideration. One of the difficulties that need to be overcome is that the Schools Authority Act is actually quite good in its application, especially in accounting measures in schools. We have to work that problem out so that we do not make life more difficult - and it is already pretty difficult in accounting in schools. We have to work it out so that we still have sound accounting and effective and efficient accounting mechanisms in our schools. In due course I have little doubt that new Acts will be introduced, but I can say no more than that there is departmental discussion about it. Certainly nothing has come to me and there is nothing immediately on the horizon.
Territory Plan Variation - Griffith
MR LAMONT: My question is also directed to Mr Wood, but in his capacity as Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning. Is the Minister aware that the draft variation to the Territory Plan, Griffith section 78, blocks 27, 33, 34, 39 and 40, will result in housing development on an attractive area of parkland fronting Throsby Crescent?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I am aware of that proposal and of the concern that has been expressed in the community about it. For members' information, that is the general area behind the Griffith shops. It is an area that once had a playschool of some sort on it. It has a parks depot that is no longer operative and a disused tennis court. There is also a further section where a disused service station on the other side of the shops was encompassed as part of that proposed variation.
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